Manchester United Under-21 coach Adam Lawrence has humorously noted that teenage star Shea Lacey has finally learned the art of tracking back—at the ripe age of 19. The comment comes as the young winger continues to shine for United's academy side, blending flair with newfound defensive discipline.

Lacey has emerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the club's youth setup this season. The England Under-20 international played a starring role in last week's thrilling 4-3 Premier League 2 play-off semi-final victory over Manchester City, contributing both a goal and an assist. As United gear up for Saturday night's final against Brighton at the Amex Stadium, Lacey remains one of their most potent attacking threats.

However, it wasn't just his offensive contributions that caught Lawrence's eye. "When you isolate some of his one-v-one play—his dribbling, dropping the shoulder, twisting and turning—it's really exciting," Lawrence said. "He's got magic in his feet and is what a Manchester United player should look like."

The coach added with a smile: "I've never seen him run backwards so much [as he did against City]. That was a positive. I said to him afterwards it's good that finally, at 19 years of age, he's understood what tracking back actually is."

United are aiming to win the Premier League 2 title in its current format for the first time, having last claimed the old league-based crown back in 2015-16. They finished second in the regular-season table behind Chelsea on goal difference, while Brighton ended the campaign in 12th place.

Lawrence also highlighted goalkeeper Will Murdock as a potential difference-maker in the final. "Will is quite a calming presence in terms of the way he can take crosses and being reliable when the ball's going into him," he explained. "When you're an outfield player and feel confident with the goalkeeper behind, that obviously really helps the team in terms of giving them a platform."